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Archive for November 5, 2011

Remember remember the fifth of November
Gunpowder, treason and plot.
I see no reason why gunpowder, treason
Should ever be forgot…

Oh I love that poem. It stems back to Guy Fawkes, a British man that was part of a plot to blow up the Parliament in protest of King James I and to put a Catholic monarch back on the throne during a time when religion was very deeply intertwined with politics. Also, it is from a very favorite movie of mine which also harkens back to Guy Fawkes, V for Vendetta. I suggest you see it if you haven’t, it’s really wonderful.

Now, I try to keep it a bit on a low when parading as Black Witch but I’m a pretty political person. Always have been ever since I was a child because I believe in what is right and what is wrong (although my morals can be lax in some areas but that’s another discussion for another time). It is right to stand for what you believe in so long it benefits humanity. You’re also right to stand for what you believe in even if it harms humanity, just don’t be surprised when getting what comes to you or yours.

In case you haven’t heard, there have been a series of global protests which stem from the Occupy Wall St protest, its short name being “Occupy”. Today would be a lovely day for this event:

Don’t know where to switch or even how? That’s okay, I know the feeling too. Here’s the difference between a bank and a credit union from How Stuff Works and a very concise guide from Wisconsin’s Department of Finance. After educating yourself on the difference and choosing which one you want, here is an article listing 9 really good tips to keep in mind when switching and if you don’t know any credit unions in your area, here is the CUlookup. Wanna stick with a bank still? Go with a community bank. This site Move Your Money Project will give you all the facts and even a search for both credit unions and community banks! Remember, do your research! I’ve been with a credit union since 2008, I was with Wachovia prior and I’m super happy that I switched.

Besides, I’m sure many of you have heard of the new fees imposed by banks for you to merely access your money or is upset about the bailouts they have gotten, only for you to be sold out by your own Congress. We could blame Obama but that’s partly misdirected anger, go for Bush, Bernanke, Alan Greenspan, etc etc etc.

Or…you could contact the CEO’s directly. They live in homes, just like us. They use phones, just like us. They check emails, just like us. They’re people, just like us – and they should hear what we have to say.

And you can – I recommend you Occupy the Boardroom, tell them how you feel about the fees and the crappy job market and drowning in debt. But do you still feel useless? As if the act is only cathartic and it would never get to the CEOs at all? I feel you. And so does a particular group.

The Cab!n Cr3w, a group of anons, have been putting up d0x’s of corrupt CEOs. Listed are home numbers, home addresses, work addresses, alternate home addresses, legal documents, etc etc etc etc. You could write the CEO a letter, shoot him a personal email, call him up, show up even. Go for it, it’s not a crime to speak. Just remember not to threaten or thoroughly berate. Be honest, not have your letter be from start-to-finish cursing.

There are other forms of “armchair” protests if you don’t want to go to your local occupation (I can understand why, they have had a few cultural, racial and gender issues there and not every Black person is built to put up with it) or can’t. This video below shows you how!

Another is to support the bill H. Res. 365: This bill wants to cancel the student loan debt. It the blurb for it reads:

“Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that Congress should cut the United States’ true debt burden by reducing home mortgage balances, forgiving student loans, and bringing down overall personal debt.”

Now, you can read the whole bill here and even get links to contact your congressperson about it because right now, I think the bill is being forced to die in congressional committee. (Watch this old school Schoolhouse Rock vid if you would like to know the basic life cycle of a bill). Now, this is great for those who want to participate in the Occupy protests or think that the only way to solve a problem in America is to contact a Congressman about it. Either way, here you go! And if they ask how on earth are they going to eat the debt, tell them to make the rich foot the bill this time.

Track the bill and more:Open Congress (Allows you to contact your representative, read the official text, and more)GovTrack (Maintains a closer look in where the bill is now, cosponsors and the committees it has been suggested to)

Yes, there has been some response from the White House to modify (federal) student loans but it is not enough. Check out this debt clock for financial aid, we’re speeding towards another bubble and the economy is probably going to continue to drag if we keep along the track that we’re going. It is not easy today so say “Go out and get a job, problem solved”. Not really, most jobs out and about today do not pay enough – and that implies if there is a job to give in the first place. Plus, when paying back student loans, you’re paying waaaay more than what you’re borrowing thanks to interest. Check out Occupy Student Debt for some examples. Things are changing and they have to change for the better or continue to deal with the same old bull.

Now, if you do want to participate in the protest, the best site to go to for all-around information is Occupy Together. If you wanna simply keep to helping out minorities (we seriously need a new word), look at Occupy The Hood.

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